Category: College Football

Auburn defeated #1 Alabama in one of the most unbelievable finishes to their storied rivalry anyone has ever seen.

Since that undoubtedly historic night, I’ve seen a lot of ill-placed blame and logic scattered throughout the Internet. Here are my thoughts I’ve compiled and broken down into ten points from the 2013 Iron Bowl.

1. Alabama committed six penalties for 45 yards. Five of those penalties (45 yards) came in the 2nd half. Four of them were false start penalties. One false start cost Alabama 3 points. A holding penalty negated a 1st down inside the Auburn 15 with 4 minutes remaining in the game. Bama entered the Iron Bowl averaging about 4.5 penalties per game.

2. Tre Mason gashed Alabama all night, running for 164 yards — the second highest total by an individual in Saban’s tenure at Alabama. Former Arkansas Razorback, Darren McFadden, rushed for 195 yards in 2007 (Saban’s first season)against Bama, but that was hardly Saban’s team.

I had an interesting dream last night that provoked a hypothetical dilemma for Alabama fans.

My dream involved Alabama playing Missouri in the SEC Championship. Missouri was absolutely crushing Alabama. It was an embarrassing, floor-waxing debacle. I felt the sting of the beat down in my dreams and I woke up thinking it had actually happened. I just couldn’t believe Missouri beat Alabama 45-7.

The dilemma stems from this. Since Alabama was playing in the SEC Championship, that means they defeated Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Given that, would you — Bama fans — sacrifice a shot at the National Championship if it meant beating Auburn this Saturday?

Before the current reign of Nick Saban at the University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide football program suffered through years of uncertainty at the head coaching position and average football from year to year — with the occasional double-digit win season peppered in between.

It was a period few Alabama fans today seem to recall, but there are plenty who sat through the Dubose years, or Mike Price’s … abrupt stint … and let’s not forget Mike Shula’s presence on the sideline (Hey, he had a good run in 2005). Though this is true for most fan bases, it is prudent to take a step back from time to time and realize exactly how good you’ve got it.

You rarely feel that Alabama is out of a game with Nick Saban in command. Total confidence brims from every Alabama fan every time they take the field. It’s just a matter of fact. It’s not cocky. It’s just a fact. Defeat is unusual. It stings for a few days, or weeks even. Continue reading “A Humble Word of Caution to the Alabama Nation”→